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Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
Photo credit: Arthur Grosset
Length: 13-15 in.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands.
Range: Breeds from southern Canada south nearly throughout the eastern United States. Winters in tropical South America.
Its call is thin, unhawklike whistle, pweeeee.
This is a crow-sized hawk, brown above, barred with rusty below, with broad black-and-white tail bands. Young birds are similar but are streaked below, with tail bands less distinct.
This hawk is best known for its spectacular migration; thousands of birds fly by, with single flocks of up to several hundred individuals. During breeding, this hawk is secretive or, rather, unobtrusive. The Broad-winged lives mainly in the woods, beneath the canopy or hidden among the foliage. Often one is made aware of it only through its call. Its food consists mainly of snakes, mice, frogs, and insects. Great numbers migrate along the eastern ridges in mid-September.
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